Hundreds of Carolina Law students have provided free legal
assistance while learning practical skills.

Attendees at the Pro Bono Program 20th Anniversary Celebration on September 22. Photo by Donn Young.

More than 100 students,
faculty, staff, alumni and friends of UNC School of Law gathered at the
Johnston Center for Academic Excellence on campus in late September to celebrate the 20th
anniversary of the school’s Pro Bono Program. Many of the alumni in attendance served
on the student-led board during their time in law school, and gathered to share
memories and stories from throughout the program's history.

Though much of the evening
was dedicated to catching up with old friends and making new ones, the
celebration included remarks from four individuals with close ties to the Pro
Bono Program.

Allison Standard ’09, who
has been director of pro bono initiatives since late 2016, began with a welcome
and thank you to attendees. She introduced the rest of the speaker line up:
Sylvia Novinsky, the former assistant dean of public service programs and
current director of the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center; Seth Morris 3L,
the current student director of the Pro Bono Board; and James Jolley ’14, the student
director in 2013-2014 and current chair of the Pro Bono Alumni Board.

Novinsky spoke about the program's
humble beginnings in 1997 when she and two students set out to create more pro
bono opportunities for students in the law school. She discussed how the
program evolved over time into a 13-student board that has pushed student
participation above 90 percent in the past two graduating classes.

Morris spoke about the Pro
Bono Program from a student perspective. He discussed the important role the
program plays in helping students meet legal needs and develop their legal
skills. He also discussed the positive impact that the program has on the
perception of the law school in communities across the state.

Jolley reminisced about his
time as a Pro Bono Board member, shared his excitement about the program's
future, and introduced the program's endowment campaign, which will support pro
bono projects and trips during fall, winter and spring breaks.

“I’m proud to announce that
the endowment campaign, which formally launched in August, has already raised more
than 60 percent of the $50,000 goal,” said Jolley. “With your help, we can
support and build on the proud tradition of pro bono at Carolina Law.”

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